Books represent life I say, but life can also be seen as a story. Everyone here is different, as if we were our own story, our own book. “Never judge a book by its cover,” they say, which isn’t wrong at all. We all tend to judge each other, only seeing each other's surface without knowing the inside. I’m Johanna Navarro, an ambitious yet adaptable high school student. I see life in a different way that others may not comprehend. Therefore my life is a book, yet unsure as to how my story will come to an end.

We didn’t have much when we first came here. It was a very different place for my family and I to settle in. By the age of 19, my parents were already in California. They faced lots of hardships that I know I wouldn’t be able to experience. I’m sure it was hard for them too, leaving their families behind in order for me and my siblings to have a better opportunity. It amazes me how much my dad put in the effort to maintain our family. It didn’t take long before we became independent as we grew together as a family. As I began growing older I was able to understand more and more, along with my siblings. We’re slowly becoming adults yet continuing with our own story. I aspire to be hard working like my parents, and I am willing to repay them back as they’ve been there for me. I’m very grateful for what they’ve done, for my siblings and I but also know that it was a new beginning for them too. 

Something I enjoy doing is taking care of animals. I find animals unique as they are all different and amusing creatures which makes them very interesting to me. I’d say being around animals makes me learn a lot about them. For example, I had pets throughout my childhood and within some time I was able to observe and discover new things about them. I believe that is what got me into animals. I may not be good at being involved with animals yet, however I can improve and make it work. Although, there’s many things I enjoy doing like reading, writing, and drawing, I know it is something that is not meant for me and I’ll need to acknowledge that.

Later in the future, I’d like to be able to accomplish many of my goals I’ve set. Becoming hardworking and achieving what I would like to be, a vet. I would like to attend a community college so that I will be able to get the job I want and maybe learn more things. I’d also like to make my parents proud with what I achieved in the future. Giving them everything is another goal of mine and to remind them that I am thankful for what they’ve done. 

In the end, although I see life differently, it is something I will look forward to. I hope to be able to achieve many things in the future and do the things I enjoy. I will continue to be appreciative and grateful for what I’ve gotten and for what I already have. I sometimes need to remind myself that we all have our ups and downs, but after all we’ll need to continue our own story.